LeBron James tells Tony Romo to tune out ESPN and other critics

LeBron James is no stranger to criticism (see: The Decision). So when the QB of his favorite football team is under fire, he's happy to dole out some advice.

Tony Romo -- who's recovering from back surgery that kept him out of the Cowboys' Week 17 game, a game that held playoff implications for Dallas -- attended Tuesday's Miami Heat-Dallas Mavericks game and spoke with James, who knows how to deal with harsh opinions.

"Just don't care what everybody thinks," James said, when asked what his advice would be for Romo. "If you care about your craft and at the end of the day if you went out there and you gave it everything you had and you laid it out on the line for your teammates, you can sleep comfortably at night. Don't watch ESPN and all these so-called 'everyone knows what to do that ain't never put on a uniform, trying to tell you what to do' [shows].

"It's not about that. I think Tony's at a point now in his career where he's one of the greatest quarterbacks we have in our game because of his work ethic. ... We all make mistakes, but at the end of the day, if you work on your game, you can live with that."

Beyond the untimely injury, Romo has gotten flack for his inability to win in December and January. But as Doug Farrar detailed in December, that reputation is overblown.

In November throughout his career, Romo has thrown 64 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, with a yards-per-attempt total of 8.15 and a passer rating of 105.5. In December, when he’s supposed to fall apart? He’s thrown 44 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions, with a YPA of 7.35. Yes, his numbers dip in December. You know whose numbers also dip in December? Tom Brady’s. Yes, the all-time cold-weather, postseason quarterback also experiences a slight decline in his numbers just as Santa is putting the finishing touches on his big annual ride. Difference is, he’s had more than a couple of postseason appearances because his teams have been built and coached at a very high level for the most part.

Romo was asked about his recovery from back surgery Tuesday, but wouldn't discuss it with reporters.